StickyMinds

In this roundup of noteworthy quotes from industry experts interviewed in 2013, read about what constitutes effective agile methods, the year in testing techniques, and why you shouldn't put too much trust in the latest and greatest tools.

When projects employ professional testers, their focus is generally “functional” testing, and usability quickly becomes an afterthought—if it's thought about at all. David Greenlees writes that getting participants to a state of mind where they are comfortable to honestly raise whatever issues they come across, including emotional responses, is the ultimate goal.

Justin Rohrman writes about the benefits of smoke tests. These tests can be simple and concise, and because of that, low cost. Spending a few minutes of your time watching the smoke test run can be a fantastic way to defocus and notice some things about your product that may normally go unnoticed.

In this interview, independent software consultant Howard Deiner explains how agile testing is different from traditional testing, how to get an organization to try new things, and how the Apollo space program utilized agile techniques.

When you’re the manager, always make sure you know who performed the work, and make sure other people know, too. People want to know you appreciate them. They want to know you are willing to carry that appreciation up the corporate ladder. More importantly, they want to know you are not a jerk who will take credit for the work they perform.

When it comes to data, we understand that visuals matter; that’s why we create pie-and-graph charts instead of stark spreadsheets. Tara Nicholson explains why clothes, grooming, and posture can be just as important as data. How you present yourself is what marketers call your “brand” and what technical analysts call a “persona.” It expresses how you perceive yourself and how you want others to perceive you in the professional environment.

Eric Bloom is a writer for TechWell and is the president and CTO of Manager Mechanics LLC. In part two of this interview, Eric discusses how IT is becoming more interwined with management than ever before, career challenges for IT staff, and the idea of concierge tech support.

If you want to be a stellar performer and a good project manager, don’t treat every assignment as if it were an ultra-high priority, but keep a sense of urgency. Finishing tasks and finishing projects is a sign of a professional. Don’t let yourself get distracted or put off too much.

Jon Hagar writes that testers need to thoroughly understand what certification is all about. As a profession, we need to understand what these pieces of paper mean, the promises they can keep, what they may lead to, and some reasonable expectations for them.

Positive psychology is providing a new focus on effective ways to ensure that teams exhibit the right behaviors in a group or organizational setting. Closely related to many agile and lean concepts, these emerging practices are helping teams to improve communication, collaborate, and emerge as highly effective groups. Leslie Sachs explains what positive psychology is all about and how to start using these practices in your organization.